Fighting the Crimson
by The Echo Theory
Summary: On Hiatus, sorry I don't think that I've done Bellice justice with this story. I'm not ending it, simply stepping back to assess my work and try to figure out where I want this to go. Thank everyone who's reviewed or set alerts or favorited this story.
1. I'm Yours

_Okay, well I'm sure most of you will neglect to read this, but I'll put it in anyway. I'm new to , and fairly nervous about how this story will be received. I won't continue it any further if no one enjoys this first chapter, well I'll probably add another one just to further the story a little and hopefully catch your interest. Well I hope you do enjoy this chapter. And flames... well you know how it goes. I won't read them, so don't waste your time. At most they will be used to roast marshmallows or something to that effect. Without further ado, I present to you the first chapter of Fighting the Crimson._

_*****_

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter One

~I'm Yours~

Staring into crimson, malicious eyes of the woman who wanted me dead, I realized that I hadn't planned for our meeting at all. There was no Edward to come rescue me this time, no Jacob faithfully watching my back. I was on my own, because I'd made it that way. Edward's departure had hurt me too deeply, I couldn't take him back. And he'd taken my best friend, he'd taken my Alice.

"You're going to pay for what happened to James," Victoria sneered, circling me. I gazed back at her with dead, emotionless eyes. I had nothing to live for, except for Renee, but she had Phil, and then Charlie, but he head Billy and his job. The Cullens had taken the part of me that wanted to live with them, and they probably didn't even know.

"Kill me, it won't bring him back." Surprise registered on her pale, beautiful face, and then her lips curved into a horrific scowl. She hadn't been expecting my response to her threat; my cold, heartless voice had startled me too. I had no motivation to live, to fight her. "Nothing can bring him back. I'm sorry to tell you, but killing me won't be as satisfying, your revenge won't be as sweet. Edward isn't a part of my life any longer. None of them are. Don't worry about them seeking you out after you've killed me, they won't."

"You think they've truly forgotten about you? The little one, the future seer, she never left. She's been hanging around, I've seen her. I don't know where she is now, maybe gathering the others, but she'll be too late. By then, I'll have either turned you or caused the most excruciating death imaginable."

Alice? No, it was impossible, she'd left me. If she'd been there, she'd have come to me when she saw me crying for her, crying for my best friend to come back to me. I studied Victoria carefully, and then decided that whether or not Alice was still around didn't change things. I'd needed her and she hadn't come, it hurt.

"It doesn't matter. I'm alone now, isn't that what you wanted? Me completely at your mercy? To beg for my life when I know that you have no intention of letting me survive? I know how your game is played; I'm a champion at getting myself into trouble. This time, however, they won't save me. I'm yours."

"You're a fool," she spat at me. I shrugged, watching carelessly as she advanced on me. Her icy hand clenched around my neck, pinning me against the warehouse wall. I hadn't paid much attention to our surroundings, and I was at a loss as to how we'd ended up in a warehouse. Wandering about Port Angeles at night wasn't the brightest idea I'd ever had, however when it came to supernatural beings, I clearly had little sense of self preservation.

"Well, that's unnecessary," I quipped, earning a squeeze. She was cutting off the supply of oxygen to my brain, and I was either losing coherency, or I wanted to be dead. I couldn't tell which it was, both scenarios were reasonable at the time. "I've never done a thing to you. You're not going to be satisfied if you kill me. Then again, what's a little more blood on your hands? You're entire existence depends on what flows through my veins, go on, take it. I don't care anymore."

"I'm not sure if you're suicidal or just stupid," Victoria chuckled evilly, clearly enjoying my little speech. A shiver raced down my spine, I'd made her mad. Amusement was another way I'd learnt vampires hid their annoyance, it attracted potential victims. Seeming entertained by something a human did rather than agitated kept them from scaring off. "Either way, you're not dying here tonight. You're going to suffer just like me."

"Oh, you're one of the ones who believes that your soul is damned? Whoa, I thought I'd gotten away from that when Edward left. Or maybe you're jealous of humans? Like Rose? It doesn't matter, I don't care." I tapped her wrist, noting the scars there. "How does a vampire cut themselves? Or did you bite yourself?"

"Shut up you little-"

"No need to swear at me. I apologize for breaching a subject you're clearly not comfortable with," I sighed, looking away from her. "If you're going to change me, do it now. I'm bored."

"You asked for it," she clearly felt the need to remind me.

I closed my eyes and stifled that scream that threatened to tear from my throat as she sunk her razor sharp teeth into the tender flesh of my neck. As the venom began to course through my veins, I felt as if I was being burned from the inside. She removed her mouth from my neck only to place her teeth at my wrist, biting both of those as well. I did scream then, a terrible, blood curdling scream that I was sure would be heard from miles around.

Victoria stepped away from my body, letting me collapse onto the cold concrete floor. In the few seconds I was able to keep my eyes open, I saw her lips curl into a malevolent smile, and then she turned away. Her footsteps echoed in the empty building, I listened as she got further and further away from me, and then there was nothing. Another scream tore from my throat, and I began to sob.

It was the most excruciating pain I'd ever experienced, a crippling pain that made one wish for death. And wish for death I did, I pleaded for it; I was at a loss as to how Victoria managed to just leave me. Any other vampire, save for perhaps Carlisle, would've drained me of my blood in an instant. I'd never heard of a vampire with enough control to just leave me as Victoria had.

A rather sharp, well as sharp as a pain could be considering the amount of it I was experiencing, stab shot through my body, and I squeaked. I wouldn't let her get the satisfaction of my screams again. She didn't deserve to know that she'd caused such a horrific feeling, though it was beginning to numb. I didn't have a clue how, but the pain was beginning to ebb away, for which I was thankful. As I began to lose consciousness, my mind projected the image of someone I wished desperately to see.

"Alice…"


	2. Entirely

_Alright, here's chapter two. Yay! I was very surprised, and pleased with how well this story was received. To be honest, I was expecting maybe one or two reviews saying the story was okay but it wasn't all that interesting. Instead, I got ten! Ten just while I'd been offline, not even twenty-four hours. You guys are really the best. Sorry to hold you up, so here's the story. Enjoy._

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Two

~Entirely~

I ran as fast and as hard as I my legs could propel me, and even with my vampire speed, it wasn't nearly fast enough. My chest heaved as I drew in unneeded oxygen, desperate to reach my destination as quickly as possible. The branches and other foliage from the forest ripped my designer label apparel to shreds, though it had no effect on my granite skin. Internally, I winced at the condition of the red Choo pumps on my feet, deciding that they would have to be disposed of before I saw Rosalie again, she'd kill me.

The warehouse finally came into view, and Bella's scent hit me full force. I nearly had to stop, then a chilling revelation occurred to me, Victoria was no longer there, and Bella's whimpering was barely audible. I doubled my pace, if possible, and barreled into brick wall, in too much of a hurry to search for a door. Following Bella's scent, which held no trace of fear, only pain, I came upon the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever seen.

Bella, beautiful, strong, stubborn, loving Bella laying in the fetal position on the filthy concrete floor. It was as if my dead, unbeating heart had been ripped out and put through a meat grinder. Seeing my dear friend so broken was enough to reduce me to almost tears, the salty liquid trapped in my eyes. With a dry sob, I knelt by her, noting the bite wound on her neck.

It was too late, I couldn't stop the venom now. I'd been too late, and now Bella was paying for it with her humanity. Her glossy brown eyes snapped open suddenly, swiveling to meet mine. Her mouth opened slightly, and then she winced with a sudden stab of pain.

"Alice…" she breathed. She quickly fell into unconsciousness, falling limp as I picked her off the floor. Cradling her fragile body in my arms protectively, I began running in the general direction of Forks.

So many thoughts were running through my head; how could I have let Victoria get to her? I'd sworn to myself that she'd never be faced with that redheaded which again. Now, here she was, sitting in my arms, her human blood at war with the venom that was now coursing through her veins. A part of me wished that I'd been the one to give her what she'd wanted so very much before Edward's twisted sense of chivalry took hold. The more dominant side, the one which Edward had unlimited access to, was telling me that it was entirely my fault, though it was clearly his own, he didn't take well to being accused of things.

Sooner than I'd been expecting, we arrived at the mansion. It was spotless, as always, the surfaces free of dust, the floor free of dirt or other foreign litter. I carried Bella's body up to my room, setting her on the bed that I'd bought just for our sleepovers. With a sigh, I pulled out my cell phone, giving myself a mental pep talk, trying to prepare myself for the call that could be delayed no longer. He deserved to know, as much as he'd hate me, he had to know. Bella would want it that way, and she was in no state to deliver such news herself.

I dialed the number that I'd seen Bella dial a few times before. Holding my breath, I held the little device up to my ear, worrying my bottom lip between my teeth.

"Hello?" a deep, gruff voice resounded.

"Jacob?" I asked timidly.

"Who's this?" he demanded. I sighed once more, realizing that this wouldn't be nearly as simple as I'd hoped, though not expected. Since when had a dog let anything go according to plan or without any difficulties, it simply wasn't in their nature.

"Jacob, this is Alice Cullen." I could hear him stiffen, clench his jaw and grind his teeth. All he could think of was my last name, the thing that connected me to the boy who'd broken Bella's heart, who'd turned her into someone that no one knew. Of course he'd be angry, I could only pray he'd let me explain the situation before sending an entire pack of mutts after me. "Jacob, listen, Victoria bit Bella. She'd kidnapped her and now she's changing."

"What the hell do you mean she's changing? Suck the venom out of her!" he roared. I knew I only had a limited amount of time before he let his anger get control of him and he phased. Wolves were volatile and preferred action of contemplation.

"I already thought of that. It's been in her bloodstream too long, it wouldn't do anything to help. We need to capture Victoria, she has to pay."

"I'll rip the bitch's head off!"

"Seeing as that's one of the ways to kill a vampire, I hope you do. I'll stay with Bella."

"Where is she?"

"Who?"

"Bella," he spat like I was stupid. How was I supposed to know whom he was referring to, my visions were all out of whack with the dogs involved. I hoped we could handle the situation without involving any of my family; they were unaware of my presence in Forks. They were under the impression that I was travelling the world once again, fulfilling the emptiness I felt without Bella in my life.

"She's with me, safe I assure you. She'll need me when the change is complete, unless you'd like to kill your best friend for feeding off of some poor unsuspecting local." My statement shook Jacob into reality, Bella was going to be a vampire, his natural enemy. I felt for the boy, but I couldn't worry about his feelings at the moment, Bella was far more important than a mutt. "Will you kill Victoria?"

"We'll slaughter her." With that cold, almost scary promise, the line went dead and I sighed yet again. I sat next to Bella, who was now fidgeting about in her restless slumber like state. My heart was breaking again, and though I couldn't remember my own change, I knew that it had been excruciatingly painful, and I wished that Bella didn't have to experience it. Resting my hand on her forehead, I began to whisper soothing words to her. Nothing could help her, but it did make me feel a little better, knowing that I was doing all that I could to ease her pain.

"Don't worry Bella; I'll take care of you. I let you down once, it shall never happen again. I promise to you." I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and stood, beginning to pace back and forther.


	3. Strong

_Two chapters in one day, my muse was with me on this one my friends. Once again, thank you all for reading this story and reviewing it. When you do, it really helps me figure out what i need to fix and what You guys want from this so that it constitutes as a good Bellice story. Well, enjoy this chapter as much as you enjoyed the other two, hopefully more. And I apolagize for the spelling mistake on Entirely, I put "forther" rather than "forth" in the last line of the last paragraph. I am going to fix that now. So, I present to you, chapter three of Fighting the Crimson, Strong._

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Three

~Strong~

As I came to, I was hit with an onslaught of scents and sounds. There was a sweet smell, mixed with a distinct floral and ocean breeze concoction, it was heavenly. I inhaled deeply, coughing violently when I realized that my lungs, though able to support the action, didn't appreciate the sudden flow of air. In the distance, I could hear little footsteps, like those of a well trained ballerina.

Suddenly, my eyes shot open and I sat up like a shot. As my mind was fuzzied by a flood of colors and other qualities of the world around me that I'd failed to notice before, I struggled to determine where I was. The room, painted pale blue with a dark blue carpet seemed so very familiar, yet I couldn't place its significance. It was all such a rush; I neglected to notice the pale, spikey haired pixie standing in the doorway.

"Bella?" The gentle, timid voice startled me; I leapt to my feet, about five feet from the bed. While I was at a loss as to how I'd managed such a feat, I found it an inopportune time to ponder such matters. Instead, I focused all of my attention on the small, fragile looking girl staring at me with wide golden eyes. For a moment, I couldn't place her either; then, the name that had been hanging on the tip of my tongue fell effortlessly.

"Alice? Is that really you?" I wondered, stepping closer to the vampire. She smiled weakly and nodded, holding her ground. I inhaled again, tracing the scent that I'd picked up earlier back to my dear friend. "You smell really, really good."

"Oh Bella, I've missed you," she murmured, moving forward to embrace me. I accepted the hug graciously, thankful for the contact that I'd missed desperately over the past months. We stood in each other's arms for a while, reluctant to relinquish our hold. It was Alice that finally stepped back, eyes shining with tears that would never fall.

"I've missed you too." Another heavenly scent flooded my senses, and I immediately crouched down, rushing over to the window.

"Wait! Bella! Don't, come with me, we'll go hunt." Hunt?

Then it hit me, Victoria, the crazed vampire had bit me. A wave of rage rolled over me, and I wished that Jasper was there to calm me, however he was not, and I could smell the most delectable thing in the world. Alice's hand grabbed my elbow firmly, opening the window and jumping down, dragging me with her. The two of us landed with a grace that was foreign to me, any form of grace associated with Bella Swan was foreign. It surprised me that I'd managed not to fall or injure myself in any way.

"Come on Bella, you must be thirsty." I hadn't been aware of my thirst until she'd mentioned it, now it burned the back of my throat, jockeying for attention in the race with my awe of my new vampire senses and my relief that accompanied being with Alice once more. As it attacked with a vengeance, I followed the little pixie further into the forests that surrounded the impeccable mansion, not wanting to lose her again.

We came upon a small herd of deer, four doe and a large, intimidating looking buck. Alice held her finger to her lips, signaling for me to remain silent as we crept closer to our prey. I crouched low to the ground, copying my companion's movements as best as I could. In a flash, we'd pounced on two deer, Alice quickly downing hers before turning her attention to the buck. As I fed hungrily from the doe that I'd killed, she battled the male's threatening antlers.

The deer carcass drained, I looked down disgustedly at what I'd done, and at the blood stained clothing I had on. Alice returned, dragging the buck by his antlers, dropping him next to me. She cocked her head and studied me, no doubt curious about my stony expression.

"Is this how you felt, when you were changed?" I asked. My voice had changed, it was silkier, more enticing than it had been before. No wonder Edward's voice had drawn me in so much, and that Alice could make me smile with the simplest of comments. I glanced up meeting her eyes once more. They were darker now; killing without feeding must make the thirst more severe.

"Yes, Bella. You feel like a monster, for killing something that has no chance of escaping, no fair game. Think, though, before you label yourself as a heartless killer as so many others have. You're choosing animals over people; you're choosing to take another path. Do you realize how strong that makes you? You're a killer, yes, but it's no different than a hunter going out and shooting a deer." Alice's words did little to comfort me, but the thirst was still too strong for me to process all that she'd said. She seemed to realize this and sighed. "Here, drink from these two as well."

"But what about you?" I asked.

She was staring at my eyes, which were more than likely some shade of red, I was fighting the crimson. I reasoned that the color, so different from her own eye color, the eye color of her family, unnerved her, so I complied. Sinking my fangs into the other doe's neck, I watched as Alice disappeared for a moment, only to return with another small buck in her grasp. She was hungry, but the need to rid me of my red eyes seemed to override the territorial instincts that sprouted up when feeding. She settled down a few yards away from me and began to feed.

"Thank you," I told her, as she finished the little buck. I'd yet to move onto the other, I felt the need to thank her for… everything. She deserved to be recognized for the help she'd given me.

"It's no problem Bella; I'd do anything for you. Now hurry up so we can go get cleaned up." I made quick work of the last deer and stood. Alice led the way back to the mansion, though I was fairly confident that with my newly improved sense of smell that I would've been able to locate it. She seemed to be in a hurry, running, and I was right on her heels. I had to wash the blood away, to change into clothes that weren't drenched the dark liquid.

"When we get back, you need to shower quickly." I nodded in understanding, despite the fact that we were running and it was unlikely that she'd see. Upon reaching the house, I did as instructed, hopping into the shower and purging myself of all traces of blood and forest and fur that had found its way onto my body or into my hair.

I got out and looked around the bathroom, there weren't any clothes. Then again, I reminded myself, that Alice hadn't promised any clothes, only turned into her dominant, bossy role and ordered me to bathe. With a sigh, I wrapped a towel tightly around my body and dashed across the hall into Alice's bedroom. The vampire was downstairs, humming as she flipped through T.V. channels. My mind projected an image of her, legs crossed as she lounged, dressed in white skinny jeans and a red and black v-neck top with floral print. The Weather Channel was on currently, showing the ever gloomy forecast that depicted the usual rain and fog that seemed to cloak Forks.

The image, as quickly as it had appeared, vanished again, like smoke, clearing my vision. I shook my head and told myself to ask Alice about it later, passing it off as some sort of newborn vampire trait. Alice's closet was huge; it could fit my bedroom in it, if you were to remove the innumerable amount of clothes, accessories, and shoes that blanketed the room. I settled for a pair of grey sweatpants and a powder blue t-shirt, contemplating why Alice owned such "unfashionable" clothes. As soon as that was done, I made my way downstairs. As I entered the living room, I froze, unable to make a sound or move a muscle.

Amber eyes stared back at me; Alice was by my side, squeezing my hand reassuringly. This wasn't happening, not now, not when I'd finally gotten her back. He wasn't taking her away again.


	4. Beginning

_Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to... entertain you again? Here's chapter four, it took me a bit longer to get this one out, I'm easily distracted and my muse wasn't cooperating very well. Anyways, thank you all again for reviewing this story, it really makes my day when I get on and check the history and traffic this story has received. I'm sure there are much better Bellice fics you could be reading but you take your time to read this one, it's an honor, it really is. So, without me wasting anymore of your valuable time, here's chapter four of Fighting the Crimson, Beginning._

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Four

~Beginning~

The look of horror on Bella's face would have you believe that she'd just seen someone tear of her father's head and then laughed at her. Bella was far too protective to let anything happen to someone she loved, however, she'd proven this when she'd wriggled away from Jasper and I in Phoenix. Her love for her family was so great; it made me feel lucky to receive some of her affection. There was a sense of belonging whenever I was with Bella, I wouldn't change it for the world. The way Bella had tightened her grip to a bone crushing intensity told me that she wasn't let me leave her again.

"Bella," Carlisle began. I had no clue why he was here; I'd been so elated to see Bella again, then so preoccupied with her change that over the past three days I'd only gone to hunt once, and that was only because I wanted to be able to lead her through her first day as a newborn. I hadn't received any visions, then again that might be traced back to the La Push werewolves, whom I had a feeling were still hunting Victoria. Jake loved Bella too much to let her get away, she would pay. "How are you feeling?"

"You're not taking Alice again!" she shouted at him, taking a defensive stance. It seemed that the newborn aggressiveness was taking hold, and combined with her need to keep me, she would be very dangerous. I could tell that Carlisle almost wanted to laugh, but he used his professional nature and refrained, instead putting a very serious look on his face.

"No, I'm not taking her again Bella, I promise you that," he assured her. Bella's postured relaxed slightly, though her eyes fading from the muddy brown that had been taking over the crimson to black. It would take me a while to become used to the change; she wasn't fragile, easily breakable Bella any longer. She was strong, fast, graceful, granite Bella, a vampire, just like me. She still held my hand, as if she thought that Carlisle would go back on his word and whisk me away. "What happened? Why is Bella one of us?

"She was kidnapped by Victoria, I had a vision of it happening, but I wasn't sure when. So when I stopped by and smelt Victoria, I followed the scent to the warehouse where I found her. She'd already been bitten; the process was too far along to stop. I brought her back her, three days ago." I glanced at Bella, who looked slightly guilty; I hadn't had a chance to ask her the entire story, so I was just going off a hunch. The look on her face, however, made me rethink how the events had actually occurred, and I turned fully to face her. Her eyes met mine for a small moment, and then focused back on her feet, avoiding my gaze. I tilted her chin up. "Bella, what happened?"

"I was in Port Angeles," she confessed, twisting her fingers nervously. How could I have let her get so far away from me without knowing? Was I losing my mind? It was dangerous for a girl who knew of our world, I'd let her get bitten, she could've been killed. Bella looked as if she was deep in thought, and as much as I wanted to hear the story there and now, I knew that rushing her wouldn't help me in any way, I had to let her word it in a way that would make her seem less… stupid for lack of a better term. "I was wandering around; I couldn't remember where I'd parked. Then all of a sudden Victoria had her hand over my mouth and was dragging me to the warehouse."

Bella quickly walked away, stopping by the wall of windows, staring out across the lush, vibrant green Washington landscape, searching for some sort of comfort. Since she'd become acclimated to the cold weather and near constant rain, Forks had become so much more to her than the town where she was Chief Swan's daughter, it'd become her home. She had friends here, family, a reason to wake up in the morning and press on through the day.

"I wanted to…. I wanted to get out of Forks for a little while, by myself. I know Charlie would never approve, so he didn't know. He's under the impression that I'm with Angela, or was with Angela. I'm sure that after my three day vacation from reality he's become unbelievably worried." The way she spoke about it, so detached, it worried me. She knew that she'd never be able to see Charlie again, that we'd have to fabricate her death somehow and disappear once, though with Bella joining our ranks. There was an internal battle in her eyes, the way she worried her bottom lip between her teeth told me that she was far from being okay with leaving Charlie behind, but she knew that it had to be done, for his own safety. Regardless, it would hurt her and she'd never forgive herself for entering Charlie's life and then leaving so abruptly.

I walked over to her, resting my hand on her shoulder. Even as a vampire, her height hadn't changed so she still had to look down a bit to meet my gaze, and the sadness in her eyes weighed me down. If I had been paying attention, she wouldn't be in this situation, and there'd be no sadness in her eyes, at least not for that reason. I opened my arms and she moved into my welcoming embrace, no longer shivering as my cold skin met hers as she once had. I felt an unshakable fog of guilt settle over me, and all I wanted to do was tell Bella it'd be alright, but Carlisle was present and she would only get embarrassed. Bella put her face in my hair, I could hear her inhaling.

"I felt so stupid, but I didn't care that she had me. I guess I really have no sense of self preservation, I gravitate towards mythical creatures," she chuckled wryly, clearly not amused with her statement, but it beat swearing at herself as I knew she was prone to do when alone. "I mouthed off to her, just making her more frustrated and dangerous."

"It's okay Bella," I told her. Carlisle watched us with a knowing smile plastered on his face. When released Bella, the two of us made our way back over to him. "Carlisle, we need to figure something out."

"I've already got everything figured out, Alice, don't' worry. The two of you should head up to Seattle, that's where Esme and Jasper are waiting." I wondered for a brief moment where Emmett and Rosalie were, deciding that I didn't really care, I nodded. Taking Bella's hand in my own, I lead her out to the garage, getting in my yellow Porsche.

"This is a new beginning, Bella," I told her softly. She nodded in agreement, staring into my eyes. Putting the car in drive, I gave her hand a comforting squeeze as I pulled out of the garage. "We're going to make things work this time. I promise I'll never let you get hurt again."


	5. Seattle

_Well, here's chapter five after entirely too long. I apolagize for the wait, I really do. The grading period at school's ending, and my math grade isn't where it should be. Oh well, I hate math anyway. I've been rather busy, and will continue to be busy for a while, so I won't be able to churn out a chapter a day very often, I'll try my best but it's doubtful. THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!! Checking this my story reviews and traffic when I have a few spare minutes makes my day. You're all so kind and give me things to consider during my next chapter. It's really all I can ask for. So, I'll cease my mindless rambling and allow you to read and enjoy. I present to you, chapter five of Fighting the Crimson, Seatle_

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Five

~Seattle~

I sat next to Alice silently, watching the Washington scenery flash by me. She'd turned on the radio; it was playing some upbeat pop song, not what I needed at the moment. As if reading my mind in the way that only Alice could manage, she put a CD in the high tech CD player, the sound of Three Days Grace flooded the car. With a sigh, I rested my forehead against the window, no longer watching the passing landscape, just looking.

The realization that all I'd known as a human had no rulings in this world I was now immersed in had begun to sink in. At the head of its onslaught, the fact that I'd never be able to see Charlie again. It hurt, like being forced to watch his death, because I was going to have to act like he had died. He'd be all alone again, under the impression that I'd drowned in the ocean, according to Alice that was what Carlisle had planned. I'd told Charlie that I was going to go cliff diving with Jake, again, but that hadn't happened. The night of my disappearance a big storm had blown in, so the chances of them finding my body had I actually died were slim.

"Bella, what are you thinking?" Alice asked me quietly. I glanced over at her, finally taking my eyes away from the window. She was already staring at me with those golden eyes, probing, searching. I didn't meet her gaze head on, instead looking at her hand resting on the drive shift. "Bells, hiding things won't help you at all."

"I know, I'm just thinking," I told her, letting my eyes rise to meet hers again. She took my hand in hers, entwining our fingers like she'd always done when we were breaching a subject that she could tell I was reluctant to talk about. "I didn't want it to happen this way… I've always wanted to be one of you, but in a more romantic set of events."

"I understand, I really do. I wish I could change how it'd happened, but I can't. I'd always planned to change you myself, if Edward refused. But… when he made us leave he threw everything off balance. You were so hurt, it ripped me apart inside. Jasper's having problems dealing with Edward's brooding and my sadness and need to be near you. It's overwhelming him. He's going to visit Peter again soon, he's been in Alaska with the Denali coven lately though."

"Oh, Alice, I'm so sorry. You must be so sad without him."

"Bella, our relationship is long over; we only maintained it for Esme's sake, it made her happy. We haven't been in love for a long time, but we still care for each other. We care for each other a lot; we just can't pursue a relationship that neither of us can really put our heart in. Besides, he's always had a thing for Tanya."

"Really?" I gasped. She giggled and nodded, clearly pleased with my reaction. She'd always loved surprising me, despite the serious conversation we'd been having I found myself laughing along with her. I felt bad that they continued the façade while there was no longer a desire to be together, but they'd proven to care about Esme far more than their own happiness. Then, something struck me. "Alice, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because, really, it wasn't something that I'd thought about. Acting with Jasper comes so easily to me, it was almost as if I wasn't lying, I let myself believe we were happy together." I looked down at our hands and squeezed hers comfortingly, telling her I understood. Words were unnecessary now; we'd said all we needed to say, we needed to think.

Thinking was something that I did well, sometimes. I didn't' always think things through, but until I'd moved to Forks, it'd never had too many life threatening outcomes. Befriending a coven of vampires, then a pack of werewolves, dating one of the said vampires, leading on one of the werewolves, and then being attacked, twice, by two rogue nomad vampires, I was a walking magnet for supernatural danger. I'd never realized before how much peril I got myself involved in. Yes, I was a good thinker, but I didn't seem to use much common sense anymore.

My eyes returned to the window, we were getting closer to Seattle. I wondered why Jasper and Esme were in Seattle, such a large city with so many people; it must've been a challenge, especially for Jasper. He was the newest to their vegetarian diet, Alice had never tasted human blood, receiving a vision of her meeting with the Cullens and adopting their lifestyle immediately. I looked up to her, my little pixie with such an infectious personality, behind that was a strong will and a fierce protectiveness for her family. I was finally a part of her family, something I'd wanted for so long, it was mine. Alice squeezed my hand, no doubt sensing the whirlpool of emotions, almost as if Jasper's gift had worn off on her.

We reached the outskirts of Seattle, Alice seemed to know exactly where we were going. No doubt she'd had a vision of the two family members' location, which I learned was an expensive hotel. Esme and Carlisle had flown in from a trip to Italy, where'd they'd been visiting the Volturi, deciding to appease Aro's need to see Carlisle on their turf, rather than have them come to Washington. My time in Volterra had done nothing to increase my liking or respect for the Volturi, they were, in my opinion, vile and power hungry. I understood their concern about such a large coven so far from their headquarters, where it was a challenge to keep an eye on us, but they didn't' need to check on the Cullens.

"Bella, we're almost there… I've kept the windows up, so you can't smell the humans, but once we get out, it'll hit you full force. I'll have Jasper and Esme come down to help if you can't control yourself, but I'm not getting any visions of you snapping. You've got amazing control."

"Alice, I've been meaning to ask you something." I remembered the vision type experience I'd had before Carlisle showed up.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"After I'd gotten my shower, I was thinking about what you were doing. I had a… vision of you watching TV. I don't know if it's a newborn trait, or if I'm just imagining things, but I wanted to tell you in case there's something wrong with me." Alice was silent for a few moments as we pulled up to the hotel, making no move to exit her car.

"Bella, I think that might be your gift, you can pick a person and see what they're doing. It's sort of like my gift, only I see the future and you get the present. We'll have to talk to Carlisle when he arrives, he'll be able to go more in depth, I've never really understood how these things happen." I nodded, understanding and unbuckled my seat belt. I hadn't even noticed that I'd put it on, it must've been a human reaction that I had whenever Alice or Edward drove over one hundred miles per hour. She giggled and then her expression grew serious. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, my hand grasping the handle, ready to open the door.


	6. Gladly

_I sincerly apolagize for the wait everyone, it's been far to long since my last update. School, as always, is whipping my butt, who needs to know what the Fibonacci sequence is anyways? I don't intend to become a scholar on it. Back to the pressing issue, which has never been school. Thank you to all that have reviewed and continue to review, it gives me a reason to write, which I try to accomplish but it seems that ironically enough, I don't get anything done over the weekend. Thank you also to those of you who've added this story to your favorites or alert list, or added me as a favorite author. It's a great feeling when I get on my email and my inbox is flooded with messages from FanFiction. Some one has asked me if this is indeed a Bellice fiction, and as much as I'd love to say wait and see, I'll stop the questions, this will escelate into a Bellice story, meaning femslash, meaning Bella and Alice in a relationship, so if you do not enjoy this type of story, it's my duty to ask you to not flame, and just hit the back button a few times. Alright, here's chapter six of Fighting the Crimson, Gladly. Enjoy._

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Six

~Gladly~

I stared into Bella's crimson ringed brown eyes, which were alight with anxiousness and concern. She was concerned that she'd slip, and since she'd only been a vampire for a few short hours, I understood her worries. With a reassuring smile and a gentle squeeze of her fingers, I moved as quickly as humanly possible to reach her door after I'd opened my own. Jasper and Esme were exiting the hotel, I was thankful for the cloudy day. They hurried over to the door, and stood ready as I opened Bella's, Jasper already sending waves of calm, effectively slimming my own nerves, and hopefully Bella's as well.

"Come on Bella," Esme cooed soothingly, taking the brunette's other hand. With Jasper leading the way, Esme and I brought Bella into the hotel. I glanced at her face, eyes screwed shut, her lip clenched between her teeth. Esme continued to coo things into her ear as we rushed into the hotel, practically shoving poor Bella into an elevator. Once the doors had shut, the unneeded air that she'd been holding in her useless lungs whooshed out; her head fell back against the wall. "You're okay sweetie, you did well."

"I'm proud of you Bella," I told her. She'd turned her gaze to Jasper, I knew without a doubt she was applauding him for having such control. A small smile claimed his lips and he nodded, I think finally accepting that she'd never really blamed him for his almost slip up on her birthday.

The doors hissed open, Esme and I taking our previous positions as Jasper hurriedly unlocked our door. Bella hadn't been prepared, still inhaling when it'd opened, so we picked her up and carried her, subtly, into the room. I hugged her to me as she attempted to catch her breath, panting slightly into my shoulder, her breaths tickling my ear.

"Good job," I whispered as she struggled with her thirst. She nodded, arms tightening around me, I gasped, unaccustomed to her powerful grip. With a guilty smile, she pulled away, silently apologizing for hurting me. "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" she asked softly.

"Yes, I'm very sure. You've just been exposed to a city of humans and you're afraid that you've squeezed me too tight?" If she could've, she would've been blushing ten shades of red; instead she hid her face in her shoulder. Esme chuckled lightly, no doubt finding our exchange cute. "How are you feeling?"

"Um… fine I guess. There's this burning in my throat though, that means I'm hungry right? It's rather irritating. It's not too bad yet, I can survive a while longer without feeding."

I took her hand once more, squeezing it firmly. My Bella was so strong, Carlisle would be pleased with the amount of control she was exhibiting. Most newborns were crazed, filled with bloodlust, absolutely no restraint whatsoever. We'd just made Bella walk in the open air of Seattle, even if only for a few seconds, and she seemed no worse for wear. Her eyes were noticeably darker, however that always accompanied a vampire when immersed in the scents of so many humans. Save for possibly Carlisle, who surrounded himself with the essence of our survival which we denied ourselves so easily every day, he was the definition of self control and compassion.

"Are you sure you're alright Bella? You don't have to act strong, we understand, we've all been there," Esme prodded in a sweet tone. Despite Bella's lack of aggression that also accompanied the transition from human to newborn vampire, she was still being cautious, an understandable decision in the given situation.

"'I'm sure, Esme, thank you," Bella replied politely, smiling at her. Bella turned her gaze to the hotel room, gasping softly. "Oh my goodness, this is nicer than my house."

"This is a very expensive hotel, one of the most expensive in Seattle actually. The beds are quite comfortable," Jasper explained, adding the last bit in to evoke another sheepish moment from Bella. I was sure that she was the only shy vampire in the world, and she had absolutely no reason to be.

For the first time, I allowed myself to take in the changes that becoming a vampire had done to her body. She was maybe an inch taller, muscles moving majestically under her even paler skin. Her long dark hair had grown thicker, no longer however. There was a subtle difference in her face, her cheek bones higher and more defined. She was, though I'd thought it impossible, more beautiful than before, she'd make Rose jealous, a scary thought that made me shudder.

"Are you alright, sweetie?" Esme asked, setting her hand on my shoulder. I nodded, deciding that I'd best keep my thoughts to myself. Embarrassing Bella was bittersweet now that she'd never blush again. It was had been one of her most endearing qualities. "Well, now all we've got to do is wait for Carlisle. Then we'll discuss where we shall settle down again."

"Esme, I need to get Bella new clothes. Do you mind if I go out for a bit to shop?" I questioned. Esme smiled and nodded, but then looked with a cocked brown at Bella, who was gazing out the window across Seattle. I understood her silent question, did I really want to leave Bella alone after being forced to leave her for so long. It'd tore me apart, but now knowing that she wasn't going anywhere, that I had her forever, I felt safe leaving her with Esme and Jasper. "I'll be back soon."

"Wait, Alice," Bella began.

She'd heard me say that I was leaving, and she had this horrified look on her face. I smiled at her, taking her hand and leading her to an adjacent bedroom. I sat her down on the bed and sat next to her, intertwining our fingers together. Bella used to marvel at my pale skin, always wondering how it could be so much lighter than her own. Now we were the same skin tone, not one lighter than the other. We sat silently for a few minutes, with Bella's thumb running across the back of my hand, gnawing gently on her bottom lip.

"I don't want you to leave me again," she whispered. She knew that Esme and Jasper, though not eavesdropping, would overhear our conversation regardless, but she maintained the quiet murmuring anyway. I'd learned that she received some sort of reassurance from it, feeling that her secrets were safe. "If you leave me again, I don't think I'll survive Alice."

"Oh Bella," I sighed, pulling her into a comforting hug. She buried her face in my neck, securing her arms around my middle. We rocked slowly for a little while, indulging in Bella's need to be close to me, it was my own need as well, and I'd denied it for far too long. "I'll never leave you again, I never will. You're stuck with me Ms. Swan, for eternity."

"Gladly, Ms. Cullen, gladly," she breathed. I felt myself smiling.


	7. Feelings

_I'm so unbelievably sorry for the time it took to get this chapter out. I really have no excuse, I've been pretty swamped with reports for school and such, though that doesn't really constitute as an acceptable reason. I'm still amazed by the amount of reviews, favorites alerts and such that I've been notified of. My inbox is always filled with messages from FanFiction. You all make my day, you really do. I appreciate more than you know. So, without further ado, I present chapter seven of Fighting the Crimson, Feelings._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, nor do I own Barbie dolls_

Fighting the Crimson

Chapter Seven

~Feelings~

Alice left me with Jasper and Esme while she went to go shop. Her addiction to the mall and expensive designer labels would, without a doubt, never diminish. While it served to torture me on our trips to Seattle and Port Angeles, it was quite endearing, a part of her I'd never replace. Alice meant the world to me, and if any part of her changed, then it'd never be the same, well… despite the obvious fact that she'd changed.

Jasper and I played a game on the Playstation that they'd taken from home. Evidently, despite the absence of Emmett, there seemed to be a fierce competition within the Cullen family when it came to Madden football, somehow, on one of my countless visits, I'd gotten sucked into the competition as well.

"Bella," Jasper began in a soft tone. We continued the game, I was able to concentrate on the task at hand and have an intelligent conversation simultaneously. "I… I want to apologize, again, for your birthday…"

"I've told you a million times before; it's not your fault. I was stupid, fragile, and he, he overreacted. I'm extremely confident that you would've dealt with the paper cut. I think your control was broken when he threw me and cut open my arm."

I paused the game now, catching Jasper's gaze. He had a faint smile on his face, I couldn't tell if it was grateful or dismissive, I hoped grateful. After experiencing the thirst for myself, I can imagine how hard it must've been for him to be so close to so many humans for so long at school. Then I was added to the equation, spending prolonged amounts of time in his home, with his "wife" as I'd assumed, with his brother. My blood had supposedly been tantalizing and difficult to resist, yet he did it. I'd never blamed Jasper for what events took place on and after that fateful day, I hoped now that he'd accept that, I knew that he'd continued to blame himself.

"I was hit with these waves of emotions… and Alice's stood out the most." He paused, I watched him curiously. I hadn't had any contact with Alice after my "party", and we'd yet to discuss anything afterwards. We were both reluctant to bloody old wounds; it was almost like an unspoken agreement that it remained unspoken.

"At first, it was this furious tornado of feelings that I couldn't sort out, it was near overwhelming. You were so worried, not afraid at all. Edward was angry, upset, so in love with you. Esme was feeling similar to you, and a bit upset at Edward for making things worse. Rose… well Rose was Rose. Emmett and Carlisle were torn between protecting you and protecting me from Edward, you clearly won out."

"I'm so sorry, I never meant to put so much stress on your family Jasper," I told him earnestly. He gave me a warm smile, and I knew I was forgiven, if ever having been blamed at all.

"Alice… Alice was feeling something that scared me. She wasn't scared, or angry… She felt so fiercely protective of you that she wanted me dead, Bella. She wanted to tear me apart and burn my body for ever being a potential threat. I've never felt anything like it."

"She'd never hurt you Jasper, and you'd never hurt me." I squeezed his hand, then immediately retracted my own as he winced. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!"

"It's alright Bella, you didn't mean to. You're only a few hours old; you don't know your own strength. Speaking of being a newborn how's your thirst?"

"Umm, well my throat doesn't burn… and I don't think my eyes have changed. Then again, you'd have to tell me if that's the case."

"You're eyes are most certainly not black, though they're a bit dark. Maybe when Alice gets back she can take you into the forests to hunt. She's going to enjoy being your caretaker you know."

"I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm going to be her Barbie doll… Jasper, where will we go once Carlisle returns?"

"Well, we'll probably return to Denali, that's where Emmett and Rosalie are. You won't be going to school for a while though, you're going to be immensely bored in Alaska."

"I'll be with the Cullens, nothing is ever boring with a single one of you around." I smiled cheekily.

"Bella, sweetie, Alice is back," Esme's warm voice called. I swung my head around in time to see Alice flitting through the door, arms laden with shopping bags. One quick glance and I felt myself groaning, she'd gone on a shopping spree, and now I was going to have to try on every single pair of clothes she'd bought. I decided that she received some sort of satisfaction from seeing me clearly uncomfortable in clothes that I had no intention of wearing.

"I'm back," Alice felt the need to announce. Not that I minded, her voice had sounded magical before, now with my sharpened senses, it was the most marvelous sound I'd ever heard. Her bright face was enough to dismantle any thought I had about being stubborn and refusing to humor her, she glowed when she smiled. "I'm so glad you finally accepted the fact you won' t get out of this, Bella."

"Yeah, well, you're a persuasive and manipulative little pixie," I teased, sticking my tongue out at her in a mature fashion. She giggled, coming over and taking my hand in hers, dragging me off of the couch. "I have to do it now?"

"Well of course. Carlisle will be returning soon and we need to decide which outfit will make Rose the most jealous."

"Rose? Jealous?" I snorted disbelievingly. "That's a good one Alice."

She gave me a mischevious little smirk before continuing to drag me into an adjacent bedroom.

"Now, you try each outfit on, then come out and we'll pick our favorites," she informed me, dropping the bags on the bed. I cocked my brow at her, then shook my head, pulling an outfit from a bag. She slipped out into the living room.

"Alice Alice Alice," I muttered. She'd always get her way, and she knew it. Such a determined little vampire, she was as stubborn as me, with the cute little facial expressions to get whatever she wanted. Her pouting worked wonders on me, and the Alice/Cullen charm, I'd yet to determine which was more potent, was quite the bargaining technique. "How do I manage to get myself into these situations?"


End file.
